


Iceberg Ahead

by TheEnduringStoryteller



Series: Doctor Who Episodes [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Intruige, Mystery, Romance, companion - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 03:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4690193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEnduringStoryteller/pseuds/TheEnduringStoryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first episode of my series. Each chapter will be constructed like a full episode of Doctor Who.</p><p>This one involes a mystery on the Titantic and the Doctor's newest companion, Audrey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Iceberg Ahead

He saw her in the haunting blue glow of the moonlight. She wore a sheer light blue nightgown and in the mist of the night she saw him. A silhouette of a man in a suit and tie, standing there with his hands in his pockets, legs spread. Curiously she tilted her head. "Hello? Who are you?"

He was quiet for a while, before he took a few steps towards her, allowing her a clearer view of his face. Suddenly he smiled, as if he thought of a joke only he heard. "I'm The Doctor."

"Oh..." She said softly. "I don't remember calling for a doctor."

"Well, I'm not a doctor I'm sort of, "The Doctor." He said, his eyes sparkling with playfulness. "I am not usually so mysterious but once and a while I like to play the part." He glanced around the area before locking eyes with her once again. "And you're here dressed like that on a night like this, so how could I resist?"

She looked down at her flimsy attire and smiled sheepishly. "Oh.. well, I thought I heard a noise and so I went outside to investigate."

"Ah humans, so curious." He said with fondness. "Though not all of them as brave as you. You saw my Tardis didn't you?"

"The big blue box, yes." She nodded.

"And you aren't... afraid? Confused at least?" He asked, his eyes still drawn to her delicate face.

"Thrilled, actually." She laughed quietly. 

"Thrilled! That's a new one."

"I am familiar with unusual things. Nothing surprises me anymore, and few things terrify me." She smiled gently, her eyes captivated by the box called the Tardis.

"I'd like to hear more about that. But perhaps we ought to go inside, it's a bit nippy."

She nodded and led him inside her small townhouse.

"So," The Doctor said once he was inside and she had turned on a light or two. "what is your name?"

"Audrey Winters." She said as she moved to the kitchen. "Would you like some tea Doctor?"

A large smile spread across his face and he slunk over to her, leaning on the counter backwards. "You really are used to the unnatural aren't you?"

"It's one of the few things I gained from having a mental illness." She smirked as she made herself a cup.

His face fell, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What sort of illness, if I may ask."

"The doctor, excuse me, my psychiatrist does not have a name for it. I suffer from delusions and hallucinations, racing thoughts, social anxiety, intermittent depression... the list goes on." She said all this lightly, almost as if it were funny to her, but The Doctor wasn't smiling.

"I'm sorry." He said earnestly. "What is it like?"

Audrey stirred the sugar into her tea. "Constant fear. Honestly I am more afraid of the monsters in my mind than any real monster of reality.. One can only destroy your body, the other destroys you, as a person from the inside out."

The Doctor looked at her seriously, listening to her every word with complete compassion.

"It never stops. There is always some thing there to hurt me, a voice, a sound, a face, a delusion.. Once it made me believe that I was on fire.. I saw my own flesh burn before my eyes.. And when I emerge from the nightmare I am alone.. " She blinked a few times then stopped stirring and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on about-"

"Please, don't apologize." He said gently. "You were saying that you felt alone, that you fight these monsters all by yourself.."

"Yes, and all I want is for someone to be there and see them too. Someone that can fight them with me, maybe even hold me if I got too scared..." She sighed. "But there is no one. It is just me, in the darkness, crying and shaking."

"Audrey." He said, looking into her eyes intently, yet soft and tender as well. "I have felt your pain. Not exactly the way you have but in a way, I think we are similar. Can you see it?"

She looked thoughtful. "I think so.. For you hold agony in your eyes."

"As do you."

She was silent for a good while, thinking. "How did you get here, and why?"

"Just a pit stop really, entirely by chance. At least.. I think so." He scrunched up his nose in thought.

"You aren't of Earth, are you?"

He smiled a bit and shook his head. "No. I am a Time Lord, and I have a time machine in your backyard right now. You could see galaxies, travel to the 16th century and come back in time for tea. It is dangerous though, you could say that I fight real life monsters."

"Well Doctor, as long as we can stop by Earth every once and a while to get my medicine, I would love to be your companion." She grinned. "I'm going to go get dressed." She said excitedly before she ran up the stairs.

"Don't forget some extra clothes!" The Doctor called before he clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "Ooo, I'm back in business!"

The Doctor led Audrey into the Tardis, and she marveled at the size of its interior. "How on- where are you from?" She asked.

"Gallifrey" He smirked.

"How on Gallifrey does it look so small from the outside? Is the rest of it cloaked or something?" She asked, eyes alight.

"Or something would be correct yes." He grinned then circled around the Tardis excitedly. "Oh! Round and round and round she goes, where she stops-" The Doctor paused at her feet. "Only you know."

"Me?" She asked meekly as she set her bags down.

"That's right! All of time and space at your fingertips."

She looked thoughtful for a while. "Could we go to the Titanic before it sank? Please?" She asked with a soft smile.

"Quite polite this one." The Doctor chuckled then got to work. "The Titanic it is! The Earth one at least."

It was not long before the Tardis landed properly and the Doctor ran off to change into a dashing suit while she went to put on her good dress.

She peeked out of the Tardis and found that they were on the top deck. "Ooo, it's freezing, better get a coat-" She turned to get one only the Doctor had one ready for her and she put it on before stepping out with him. Apparently no one had noticed the blue box yet and the pair of them entered the ship's interior.

The floor for the upper class was full of rich people with their fur coats and long cigarettes. "Wow.. we're really here. We're here!" Audrey marveled and hurried over to the stairs and walked alongside the edge of them, near the railing. When she reached the landing The Doctor had caught up with her.

She looked at the railing then at The Doctor, then the railing and at The Doctor with a bright childish smile.

"Oh just do it already." He smirked.

She slid down the railing and landed on her feet with a soft laugh. "Now you have a go."

"Please Audrey, people are watching us now." The Doctor said nervously.

"Oh come on you." She grinned. "Please?"

"Well.. Alright." He grinned then slid down it himself, with her keeping him steady at the end. He then fixed his black bowtie.

"Sir, madam, the stairs are not for sliding." A worker informed.

"Oh, sorry sir." Audrey said, but couldn't help but smile as the man left. When she turned around she saw the Doctor standing by the window looking out. She stood next to him and smiled gently. "What are you thinking of Doctor?"

"Well, it's just, of all the places for you to go and you've chosen to stay at your home.." His eyes seemed to be looking far off, and they were burdened with sadness.

"Are you homesick?" Audrey asked, wondering why he looked so hurt.

"You could say that, yes..." He smiled sadly.

"Can you never go back?"

"Oh, no I can go back I just... I mean, it's good to travel, and-" She was looking at him now, straight into his eyes as if begging to understand something, it gave him pause. "It's really a beautiful place."

"Perhaps we can go there next?" She asked.

"Best not... I mean, what fun would that be for me? Going back home..."

"Doctor?"

"Yes Audrey?"

"You don't need to lie to me..." She said gently, and reached for his hand. "Just tell me that you'd rather forget.."

"Forget what?"

"Whatever it is that makes you so sad."

He looked down at her hand for a few moments then up again. "I'd rather forget.."

She squeezed his hand then smiled gently and said, "We don't need to go to Gallifrey, I mean, like you said, there is adventure to be had."

He smiled and nodded. "Right." He looked outside of the window and saw a shadow -no- many shadows out on deck, then, as quickly as they came, they disappeared.

"Hmm..." The Doctor hummed. "Stay here and enjoy yourself, I'm going to-" He looked for her but she was gone. His hearts clenched for an instant, fearing that something had happened to her already, but then he heard her from afar calling for him.

"Come on Doctor! I've got a trail on the shadow men!" She said and continued running.

The Doctor smirked. Daft girl... He thought, then pulled his sonic out and followed her.

"I can't see their faces..." She said, as she looked out a circular window, spying on the shadow men. "I wonder if they're space pirates."

"Space pirates? What makes you say that?"

"Well, they are on a ship, full of jewels from wealthy people, or if they are after infamy this is the most famous ship that ever sailed."

"That's true... But there could be any number of reasons why they are here. And Earth jewels aren't valuable everywhere."

"Perhaps you should go talk to them." Audrey mentioned as she looked out the window, only room enough for one. "You are very persuasive after all."

"Well, I-"

"They're moving!"

"What? Where?" He asked.

"Off of the ship... somewhere..."

"Excuse me madam." Asked a waiter with a tray in his hand. "And.. sir, but would you two like a drink?"

"Oh.. um, no thank you."

The Doctor moved to look out the window and drummed his fingers against the wall for a few moments before running off on deck. 

"Excuse me sir, gotta run!" Audrey smiled then ran off after The Doctor. He was using his sonic now. "Why did you run off on your own?"

He didn't answer, simply continued scanning and searching and mumbling. "Can't be the Vashta Nerada, we're at sea..."

Audrey looked concerned and thoughtful as she watched him ponder, then she straightened her back and imagined... what if she were a pirate.. an intruder.. where would she strike first?

Suddenly she bolted back into the room and asked a crew member for directions and she ran for the Captains deck.

"Audrey I think... Audrey?" The Doctor turned around but she wasn't there. "An active girl.." He mumbled then hurried inside to look for her.

Audrey came up to the door at last after sneaking past a few crew members and inched past the door to see through the glass while standing on the balcony a foot or two from the room. Her dress blew violently in the wind, as did her long auburn hair, but somehow she managed to sneak a peek. There was four men in the room but there were five shadows... cast in the opposite direction they should from the light.

"Audrey?"

"Doctor, there are five shadows and only four men, why is that?"

"I don't know... Let's see." The Doctor moved to the door and opened it with his sonic. He then grabbed a sandwich that was sitting on a console and threw it at the extra shadow on the ground.

"Oi that was my dinner!" One of the men protested, while the others stared in confusion.

"Okay... definitely not the Vashta Nerada..."

"Who are you sir, I demand to know." Came the gruff voice of the Captain.

"I'm The Doctor, no name, just, The Doctor, and I'm here to help." He said quickly and moved around the room with purpose, pointing his sonic all around the shadow.

"Here to help us from what?" One younger man demanded more than asked.

"I don't know yet." The Doctor said, and looked at his sonic for a moment before putting it away. "It's a shadow, just a shadow.."

"Well of course it is!" The Captain bellowed. "You two need to leave immediately."

"Well the girl can stay..." The younger man with light brown hair smirked.

"No. No distractions." The Captain ordered. "Now, the both of you, go before I call security."

"Alright, alright, no need to get excited." Audrey said and grabbed The Doctor's hand and lead him outside, back to the interior of the bridge deck, where the entrance stairs were.

"It's a shadow, just a shadow but how?" The Doctor muttered.

"Maybe it's only a shadow for now." Audrey said thoughtfully.

"Waiting.. for something.." He murmured, when suddenly a chorus of bells rang out into the night air and crew members explained, "There has been a umm.. slight breech in the hull of the ship and regulations dictate that we provide you with life jackets. It is nothing too serious, so please, enjoy your evening."

"Oh no.." Audrey murmured. "They started handing out life jackets a few hours after they hit the iceberg.. That means the ship is already sinking..." She paused for a moment then looked at the Doctor. "Can we help them?"

"I'm afraid not... it's a fixed point in time, the ship always sinks, and who knows what might change if we save even one person." 

"But the shadows.. Do they have anything to do with the ship sinking?" 

"Could be.. Don't know how though.."

"We should go to the boiler room, see if anything's changed recently." 

"Good idea." The Doctor agreed then hurried down the elevator and down to the boiler room, which had a layer of water covering the bottom of it, the men covered in ash and working through the water.

"Official inspector of... engineering." The Doctor said, and flashed the psychic paper before putting his hands in the pockets of his brown trenchcoat. "Has there been anything unusual lately?"

"Ha! You mean besides the water?" The man asked then wiped the sweat off his brow. "Would have been thankful for the water if it weren't for the fact that we were on a ship." 

"Yes but other than that, anything foreign... alien?"

"No..." The man gasped with a memory in mind. "I do remember something.. But it wasn't too strange."

"What, what is it?" The Doctor asked urgently.

"I saw a shadow.. coming out of the coal pile.."

"Which one?" 

"That one there." The man pointed and off the doctor went, scanning away until he found an oddly shaped coal, almost triangular at the edges.

"What is it Doctor?" Audrey asked.

"It isn't coal... it's an egg.. and-" He looked to his right and saw a small pile of pieces of "coal" split open. "And they've hatched."

"Hatched into shadow men?" Asked Audrey in a small, nervous voice.

"Yes."

"What will they do?"

"I don't know.." The Doctor mused and moved the egg shell around in his hand.

"They've used this room as a sort of incubator, because it's warm.." Audrey murmured. "But how did they get in?"

"Maybe they knew that the coal sack would take them some place warm."

"But what if they accidentally got thrown into the fire?" Audrey asked.

"The shell can withstand quite a lot of heat, it would have only hatched faster."

A man looked at them oddly then intervened. "Excuse me! What's this about eggs?"

Audrey and The Doctor ignored him. "But Doctor, what about the Captain, we need to help him."

"He may already be gone Audrey, we need to figure out what species this is first."

"No, we need to help him, there is still time!" Audrey insisted then left as soon as he said the word, "No".

But he had not noticed her leave and kept talking. "Audrey, it's too late. The ship is sinking as it is. No one on this ship can be saved but we can at least discover a new species in the pro...cess" The Doctor looked around, but Audrey was long gone. Conflicted, The Doctor debated going after her.

.... Meanwhile ...

Audrey pounded on the door to the Captains deck, then suddenly got an idea and said, "I am in requirement of manly assistance."

The door flew open with the young man smirking on the otherside. She pushed past him and walked up to the Captain. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"I told you to leave, girl."

"Please, I..."

"Remove her."

The two men came and took her by the arms while she thought. She looked down at the shadow, her foot was on it, and it was.. twitching. The eyes of the Captain they were dull... The shadow isn't the alien at all!

"I... I... I know about your babies!"

The Captain stopped, and turned to look at her, eyes far off yet held a hint of intrigue in them. "Let her go, bring her to me."

"But sir-"

"That's an order." He said, his eyes narrowed and harsh. "Come with me girl."

Audrey nodded and followed the Captain out onto the deck. "How do you know of my children?"

"I found them, downstairs in the coals."

"And me, how did you know it was me?" The Captain (or was he?) asked stiffly.

"Your shadow, it twitched when I stepped on it by accident."

The Doctor called for her. "Audrey!"

"The Doctor is coming and he can help! We can take your children away to their rightful planet."

"No. My planet is gone, and you must not tell the Doctor."

"Why?"

"My children needed more than heat to hatch they needed strength..."

Audrey's eyes widened slowly with realization. "You crashed the ship... on purpose. To hatch your eggs."

"Yes, I did. And if The Doctor knows he will kill all of my children and I cannot bare that."

"But all of these people will die because of you. How could you do that?"

"I am the last chance for my kind to live. Would you not sacrifice thousands of mine to save your own race?"

Audrey was quiet for a few moments. If it meant saving her race.. she would. She nodded slowly.

The Doctor called louder. "Audrey!! Where are you?!"

Audrey spoke fast. "But you've hatched your eggs, where will they go?"

"The human they overtake will be like him..." She looked down at the dark shadow underneath her, shown by the yellow light above. "Trapped.. a shadow of what they once were."

"If you must do this then you ought to at least allow them their last moments, leave the people alone."

The Doctor came running to Audrey. "Finally, I've found you. Is he alright? Are you alright?"

The Captain looked at Audrey sternly.

"We're fine Doctor." She lied, and it did not go past him, he saw through her deception and followed her as she swiftly walked indoors and down the stairs to the cabins.

"What happened Audrey?"

She stayed silent and continued on until she reached the white walls and chilled floors she was searching for. The Doctor grabbed her hand and kept her from leaving, fire in his eyes. "You do not know me or what I am capable of. Tell me the truth, what happened?"

She stood her ground. "You're not ready to know yet."

"What do you mean I'm not ready? Audrey, if you do not tell me the truth then I will not allow you to travel with me again."

"Then so be it." Audrey said, her shoulders leaned back confidently. "I can see that a good man lingers deep inside you, and it comes to surface every now and then, but not now. Now it is dormant, and I will not travel with the man who is in front of me now."

The ship lurched, shoving her into his arms. As soon as movement steadied she pushed away from him and ran down the halls, warning the third class passengers. "They are going to close the gates soon! You need to get to the lifeboats!"

"Audrey stop, they are all going to die you can't change this."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Listen-"

"No." 

A little boy came running out of the room and ran for the gate then went up the stairs. "Mama! Come on!"

"I'll be right there!"

Audrey looked at The Doctor, who was standing on the edge of the stairs as he looked at her. Her eyes were pleading to him, her hair a mess, her chest heaving. "Doctor I want to trust you," A low sound rumbled from down the hall. "but they told me that you would hurt them and I can't risk-"

A rush of water burst through the halls and slammed into Audrey's small frame, knocking her off her feet and tossing her body into the flood of rushing water.

"No!!!" The Doctor screamed, his chest heaving now. He looked at the wall to see if her body had smashed against it but saw nothing. The halls halfway filled with water, he couldn't see anything, and more water was pouring in. "Audrey!" He cried then threw off his coat and dove under the water, eyes open. The salt stung but he didn't care, he looked for her. He saw chair legs and the tops of bodies floating on the water but he did not see her. He needed air and rushed up for a gasp of it. The water was higher now. He dove under again and looked around until he caught a glimpse of her beautiful Tardis blue dress, and he quickly went up for another gasp of air, then swam for her.

Her dress had snagged onto a broken flood light and she was stuck underneath the water at the side of the wall.

The Doctor swam under the water and tugged at her dress until a small piece of it split off, and he dragged her up with him to the surface. He swam to the stairs and laid her down on them and she lay limp.

"Okay, what do I do what do I do? Ah! CPR." He used his palms to perform chest compressions then placed his mouth on hers and gave her his air. Then he went back to chest compressions, then gave her his air and moved away. Suddenly she awoke and began coughing up water. 

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief and gently held her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You saved me." She said with wide eyes.

"Yes.." He said softly and moved a strand of hair from her face.

She sat up and explained everything. Once finished, The Doctor stood up and ran off. "Doctor!" Audrey called.

"What?!"

"I'll be there in a minute okay?!" Audrey said, and began wading to the water.

"What are you doing, are you mad?! The hall will flood up entirely any minute!" The Doctor said, his eyes filled with worry.

"In answer to your question Doctor. Yes. I am mad." She chuckled, then started swimming for one room in particular. "I need to see if I can save the boy's mother! I'll meet you in the Tardis!" She said, and swam around the corner.

"Get back here!"

There was no answer.

"Audrey!"

No answer.

He groaned softly and ran up the stairs and past the deck then opened the door to face the Captain. "I know why you've done this.. why you've hurt these people." He said, his hands clenched into fists.

"If you are threatening me Doctor, I must remind you that my children are hatched. They can defend themselves."

He wanted to kill them. Kill them all for causing this. But he remembered Audrey, and that look on her face when she was trying to tap into that softer side of him, and he knew that he couldn't. He had only just met her but he admired her heart, her tenacity, and for some reason, he wanted to make her proud, he wanted to be a hero again. "They won't need to defend themselves. I just need you to let them stay in their shadow form for a while, in my Tardis, and I will find you a new world."

"How can I trust you Doctor? What has changed in you?"

"Nothing. I just.. I don't want to be another monster to Audrey.. and you have my word that I will not hurt your children."

The Mother looked thoughtful, and nodded. "My children are scattered. We must find them."

The Doctor spent the next hour running. Running through each deck with his sonic, looking for the Mother's lost children. And when at last he had gathered all of them, their mother asked them to leave their hosts and remain in their vulnerable shadow form once more, their mother included. The largest shadow on the Tardis spoke to The Doctor telepathically. We must leave now Doctor. Before the ship sinks.

"I'm not leaving without my friend. Just wait. Wait right here." He said, and ran off in his squishy wet sneakers and sopping wet hair down the stairs to the lower cabins but.. they were flooded to the gate. She wasn't at the Tardis so that must mean...

He stared off into the water as it lapped the stairs and felt his hearts clench with anguish, then anger ran through him, all the way to his finger tips. 

She was gone. 

And he was alone... again. 

Finally he came to his senses, and trudged up the stairs. He almost didn't notice a soaking wet mother hugging her son.. but then.. he did, and a spark of excitement ran through him. "If the mother was.. then maybe!" He tried not to get his hopes up but he couldn't help it. He ran around the deck looking for her and stopped when his eyes saw what he had hoped with both his hearts he would see. Audrey was standing by the railing, dripping wet, shivering, looking up at the stars and alive. 

Completely alive.

He hurried up to her and smiled widely. "Audrey!"

"D-Doctor!" She stuttered. "I'm s-sorry I was l-late, I wanted to s-see the s-stars b-b-before-"

He chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Come on Audrey, let's get the hatchlings home."

"A-And you're sh-sh-sure that we c-c-can't save-"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry Audrey.." He said gently. "Not this time."

Audrey felt tears come to her eyes and she tried to hold them back but The Doctor could see how hurt she felt. "Next time.." He said as he walked her to the Tardis. "I promise next time we'll save everyone."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't k-k-keep." She said gently as he lead her in through the door.

"I don't. But I do make promises that I fully intend to keep." The Doctor smiled softly.

"I suppose that's g-good enough." Audrey smiled as well.

"Now let's get you some heat." The Doctor said as he started up the Tardis, then looked down at the Mama shadow. "Don't worry miss um.. I haven't gotten your name have I?"

"Mardalinabaklei, and I am a Shalleen."

"Alright, Mardalinabaklei time to find you a new home." He grinned.

Once on the new warm planet the Shalleen would live on, the shadows transformed into their full forms, little armadillo like creatures with shadows underneath their shells, with their mama being the biggest. "Thank you Audrey. And thank you Doctor. We owe the existence of our race to you."

"Have a nice life Marda.. Marda-" Audrey frowned, unable to remember the rest.

"Mardalinabaklei." She said. "But Marda is fine." She smiled. "And enjoy your travels."

Back in the Tardis, Audrey looked solemn and sad. "I guess you'll be taking me home now huh..?"

"What, why?"

"You said that if I didn't tell you the truth then you wouldn't let me travel with you."

"But you did tell me the truth."

She was quiet and looked down at the Tardis floor. The Doctor looked concerned and went to her. "Audrey look at me please."

She raised her head and looked at him, yet her eyes would wander away.

"When you looked at me, before the water washed you away, you looked at me like.. like I was a monster." He looked down with sad eyes then looked into her eyes again. "I hope that you never look at me like that again."

She looked at him deeply and took in a soft breath as he continued.

"I'm glad you didn't tell me everything right away, and I was a fool to let it take you almost dying to make me want to try and change my mind. Now, I can't promise that I will be a better man here on out, but I do know that as long as you are with me, I will be able to try."

Audrey nodded slowly. "I was so scared. I.. I almost died."

"Yes." He said nervously. "And I am so sorry for that."

"And it was real.. all of it."

"Yes, it was."

Slowly, she smiled up at him and she held his hand. "And you were there for it all."

He looked confused so she explained. "I always fight monsters and floods and fires, and I always almost die, but when it's over I cannot look to anyone and know that they know exactly what it felt like to be so incredibly afraid. But today, I was with you, and I wasn't alone. I was so far from alone!" She grinned then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you Doctor."

"So you'll stay?"

She pulled away from him and nodded with a large smile. "I'll stay."

"So the question is then.." He said, and moved to the control center. "Where do you want to go?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
